National Drug Intelligence Center   Domestic Cannabis Cultivation Assessment 2009   July 2009   UNCLASSIFIED

National Cannabis Cultivation Trends

Domestic cannabis cultivation is occurring at high levels and eradication is increasing across the United States, according to the most recent eradication data. No conclusive estimates are available regarding the amount of cannabis grown in the United States; however, eradication statistics provide an indicator of the extent of cultivation. According to data from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program (DCE/SP), domestic cannabis eradication is increasing. The number of plants eradicated from domestic cannabis cultivation sites increased substantially in each of the past 5 years. (See Table 1.) In 2008, more than 8 million plants were eradicated from indoor and outdoor sites in the United States--a 14 percent increase over 2007 (7,034,327 plants). Most cannabis eradicated annually is from outdoor cultivation sites. DCE/SP data indicate that 94 percent (7,562,322 of 8,013,308) of plants eradicated in the United States were eradicated from outdoor cultivation sites in 2008. States reporting the highest number of plants eradicated from outdoor sites in 2008 include California, Tennessee, Washington, and Kentucky. While outdoor cultivation is predominant, law enforcement reporting indicates a shift toward indoor cultivation. A significant and increasing number of plants are eradicated annually from indoor cultivation sites. Just 6 percent (450,986 of 8,013,308) of all plants eradicated in the country were eradicated from indoor cultivation sites in 2008. States reporting the highest number of plants eradicated from indoor cultivation sites in 2008 are California, Florida, Washington, and Colorado. (See Table 2.)

Table 1. Number of Plants Eradicated From Indoor and Outdoor Sites in the United States, 2004-2008

Source: Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program.
Note: DEA methodology for collecting DCE/SP data changed in 2007. Beginning in 2007, public lands data are included in the number of outdoor plants eradicated and therefore should not be compared with previous years' data.

Table 2. Domestic Cannabis Eradication Indoor and Outdoor Plant Seizures, 2008

Source: Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program.
Note: These data were collected by DEA in conjunction with the DCE/SP Program. The DCE/SP program is a joint effort by federal and state agencies to which DEA contributes funding, training, equipment, investigative, and aircraft resources to participating states in an effort to eradicate domestically cultivated marijuana.
* M7 States (See Trends in M7 States for explanation of M7 states.)

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Cannabis cultivation operations currently appear to be most prevalent in western states but are increasing in many eastern states. Domestic cannabis eradication from both indoor and outdoor cultivation sites appears to be highest in western states, specifically California, Oregon, and Washington where large-scale outdoor cannabis cultivation, especially by Mexican groups and Caucasian groups, is prevalent. DCE/SP data for 2008 show that 76 percent (5,759,296 of 7,562,322) of all outdoor plants eradicated nationally were eradicated in these three states. Furthermore, 66 percent (5,322,053 of 8,013,308) of plants eradicated from indoor and outdoor cannabis cultivation sites in the United States were eradicated from California alone. National-level eradication data and intelligence reporting indicate that large-scale outdoor cannabis cultivation operations like those in many western states are expanding eastward into Utah, Idaho, and Texas and, more recently, into Wisconsin, Ohio, and Tennessee. Similarly, indoor cannabis cultivation operations are most pervasive in western states like California, Oregon, and Washington, largely because of the exploitation of medical marijuana laws in some western states, and the expansion of large-scale Asian-operated indoor grow sites. Indoor cultivation also is an increasing concern in eastern states--particularly in Florida, where law enforcement authorities report a substantial increase in Cuban-operated indoor grows throughout the state.

Average marijuana potency steadily increased over the past 20 years to the highest recorded level in 2008; this continuous yearly increase can be partially attributed to improvements in outdoor and indoor cultivation methods. According to data from the University of Mississippi Potency Monitoring Project (PMP), the average THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) level in tested samples of marijuana increased in 2008 to the highest level ever recorded since the project's inception in 1975. The average THC content of tested marijuana samples increased to 10.14 percent in 2008, rising from 9.60 percent in 2007 (see Figure 1). The tested samples consisted, in large part, of marijuana seized from eradicated plots in the United States and other countries, particularly Mexico and Canada. Improved outdoor and indoor cultivation methods adopted by both domestic and foreign cannabis cultivators appear to be a factor in increased marijuana potency.

Figure 1. Average Percentage of THC in Samples of Seized Marijuana, 1988-2008

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Source: University of Mississippi Potency Monitoring Project.

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